Grades needed for Law at Ivy League universities

I'm fully aware of the SAT process as well as other examinations needed and I know what you do for your undergrad plays a significant role, but I'm currently at gcse level and I'm expecting to get 4A*'s 4A's and 2B's. I'm going to do maths physics chemistry biology and history for my AS levels, how good are my chances so far?

Heya, I'm going to move this to the Uni Applications forum as I think someone there will be better able to help you.

You cannot study law in the US as an undergraduate. You need to do a juris doctor (law degree in the US) which is a two year course and you can only apply to JD solely after completing university, having studied another subject in addition to having taken the LSAT test which is created just for entry to law schools.

I'll be honest with you - your chances aren't great, unless you get straight A grades at AS and then straight A*s at A2. As somebody who extensively researched the US application system and then decided against it (I'm now applying to UK unis for entry in 2015), I can tell you a bit about it.

Ivy League universities are, arguably, one hell of a lot tougher to get in to than, say, Oxbridge. The acceptance rate at Ivy League unis is currently between 4-9% (Harvard has the lowest, Brown or somewhere has the highest); the acceptance rate at Oxbridge is around 20%. Basically, at Ivy League universities, it is simply not enough to have straight A* grades at GCSE or A-Level. US universities place a massive weighting on extracurricular activities - unless you have played a sport to a national level, or have done literally hundreds of hours of community service, or are Head Girl/Boy, or play a musical instrument to Grade 8 etc etc, your chances are low, even if you have very high SAT scores and straight A*s.

Another problem is that there are no limits to how many US universities you can apply to - whilst this is in your favour (as the chances of getting in to 1 of 8 Ivy League schools are greater than your chances of applying to one and getting accepted by one), it does mean that Ivy League schools are swamped with applications, as many US students applying to the Ivy League apply to more than 5 schools, possibly even 10.

By all means, still apply to Ivy League - you never know! - but be aware of the costs involved, especially as the costs of tuition fees are horrendous. Quite honestly, your chances aren't great, but if you were to get 3/4 A*s at A-Level you might stand a shot. However, there are other fantastic US unis with excellent reputations that you would stand a great chance at. Ultimately, it will come down to academic success and your ability to demonstrate a long-term commitment to an impressive extra-curricular activity.

I hope you're aware though, that studying Law in the US only entitles you to practise law in the state that you studied in (providing you pass the Bar) - so if you sit the Massachusetts bar exam, you could only practise law in Massachusetts. I'd say it's really not worth doing it, as you'd have to restudy and resit your exams on your return to England in order to practise law anyway?? Also - why do you want to study Law if you're studying such science-based subjects at AS?

I'm sorry if I put a downer on your hopes, but I found out the hard way that applying to the US is a lot harder than it looks

I'm by no means an expert on the US system and most of this could be absolutely correct for all I know, but don't use the admissions percentages of Ivy League universities as an argument. As you mentioned yourself, there's no limit on the number of Universities you can apply to in the US. In the UK, because applicants are limited to five choices, people aren't going to waste a choice on Oxbridge unless they've got a very reasonable chance of getting in. In the US, you've got nothing to lose (other than a bit of time and money) by applying to top Universities, however marginal your chance of getting in is. I would argue that this is the main cause of the disparity between admissions percentages in the UK and US, not a difference in entry standards.

I'll be honest with you - your chances aren't great, unless you get straight A grades at AS and then straight A*s at A2. As somebody who extensively researched the US application system and then decided against it (I'm now applying to UK unis for entry in 2015), I can tell you a bit about it.

Ivy League universities are, arguably, one hell of a lot tougher to get in to than, say, Oxbridge. The acceptance rate at Ivy League unis is currently between 4-9% (Harvard has the lowest, Brown or somewhere has the highest); the acceptance rate at Oxbridge is around 20%. Basically, at Ivy League universities, it is simply not enough to have straight A* grades at GCSE or A-Level. US universities place a massive weighting on extracurricular activities - unless you have played a sport to a national level, or have done literally hundreds of hours of community service, or are Head Girl/Boy, or play a musical instrument to Grade 8 etc etc, your chances are low, even if you have very high SAT scores and straight A*s.

Another problem is that there are no limits to how many US universities you can apply to - whilst this is in your favour (as the chances of getting in to 1 of 8 Ivy League schools are greater than your chances of applying to one and getting accepted by one), it does mean that Ivy League schools are swamped with applications, as many US students applying to the Ivy League apply to more than 5 schools, possibly even 10.

By all means, still apply to Ivy League - you never know! - but be aware of the costs involved, especially as the costs of tuition fees are horrendous. Quite honestly, your chances aren't great, but if you were to get 3/4 A*s at A-Level you might stand a shot. However, there are other fantastic US unis with excellent reputations that you would stand a great chance at. Ultimately, it will come down to academic success and your ability to demonstrate a long-term commitment to an impressive extra-curricular activity.

I hope you're aware though, that studying Law in the US only entitles you to practise law in the state that you studied in (providing you pass the Bar) - so if you sit the Massachusetts bar exam, you could only practise law in Massachusetts. I'd say it's really not worth doing it, as you'd have to restudy and resit your exams on your return to England in order to practise law anyway?? Also - why do you want to study Law if you're studying such science-based subjects at AS?

I'm sorry if I put a downer on your hopes, but I found out the hard way that applying to the US is a lot harder than it looks

Okay thanks, I'm doing science based subjects because they are subjects I naturally excel in, as universities give you an idea of subjects that should be taken there are no compulsory subjects that need to be taken. I want to live in America when I'm older, hence why I want to study at an Ivy League university. I always knew it was going to be hard, but what can I do which will make me stand out? I know a dazzling undergraduate degree will but right now I'm 16, so what can I do now? Bare in mind that my parents are doctors so we are not exactly 'loaded'.

Sorry, do you mean you want to do your undergrad in the UK and then your postgrad in the US? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about GCSEs. Get some serious work experience in your field, and then apply to the US having got a 2.1 or above afterwards - I'm not quite sure how applying for postgrad study in the US works...